


Still Not for Hire

by gumboy



Series: Pop's Barbershop Anthology [4]
Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies), Luke Cage (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 09:43:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8396833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumboy/pseuds/gumboy
Summary: Three strangers show up in Pop's Barbershop trying to recruit Luke Cage into their own group of Secret Avengers.Except they're not that secretive.





	

Luke was in a pretty good mood as he walked towards Pop's. He had managed to tear Claire away from her plans to open up a free clinic for the evening to get "coffee" and was happy to see no one had tried to hold up any of the local bodega's in his neighborhood. One shop owner even told him that 'word was getting out' and that anyone who wasn't 'a complete dumbass' knew better than to stir up trouble on his street.

So yes. Luke was definitely in a good mood when he walked through the door

There were three complete strangers sitting in Pop's Barbershop when Luke showed up. One was on the new XBox and competing with the kids on Call of Duty; another was sitting across from Fish playing chess and talking about Harlem in the 40s while the final person was sitting in the barber chair reading a newspaper.

"Pretty busy in here for a place that doesn't cut any hair," Luke joked, causing the man to put down his newspaper.

"Luke Cage?"

"That's me," he replied. "Can I help you?"

The man smiled and got out of his chair. "Sam Wilson," he said shaking Luke's hand. "You probably haven't heard of me."

"You mean I haven't heard of the guy from Harlem who went on to be an Avenger and flies through the sky?" Luke joked. "Nah. Never heard of you before. Not one bit. You here for a visit?"

Sam's grin got a little bit bigger. "I'm not going to lie. I wish I was. Coming here has brought back a lot of memories. I used to hang out here in the day. In fact, Fish over there taught me how to play chess."

"Didn't teach you to suck at it though," Fish called out without taking his eye off the chess board.

"Hey, you bring out a pack of Uno cards and I'll show you who's the king," Sam snarked back much to Luke's amusement.

"Let me guess," Luke replied. "You're here to see if I'll join your merry band of adventurers."

Before Sam could respond the man playing XBox dropped his controller on the floor as he rage quit the game. "Give me a break! This controller sucks!" he said standing up. "Somebody needs to-"

He stopped mid-sentence to realize that Luke Cage was in the room.

"Holy Crap! You're huge!"

"That's funny coming from you, Tic-Tac," Sam said rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but look at him. I'm mean naturally!" the man continued walking up to and patting Luke on his shoulders like if he was trying to determine that, yes, he was actually that size. "I mean, I can get big but this guy is huge."

Sam sighed in embarrassment. "Luke Cage? This is Scott Lang. He doesn't have a filter between his brain and his mouth."

"I'm Ant-Man," Scott said as if this explained everything.

"Ant what?" Luke asked because seriously. Did he just say 'Ant-man'?

"Man. I'm Ant-" Scott sighed. "Nevermind. Did you ask him yet?"

"I was getting to that," Sam said giving him a look. "Right up until you interrupted me with him being big."

"Well in all fairness he is pretty huge," Scott said somewhat lamely.

"Yeah, we covered that," Sam snarked back.

"Gentlemen?" Luke interrupted and trying to hide his amusement. "I'm sorry. Are you guys here to recruit me?"

Both Sam and Scott nodded and said "Yes" at the same time. At which point Sam gave Scott a glare for talking and Scott returned his look with a verbal "What? What I'd do?"

Luke cracked a grin. "Look guys, you're not the first people who have tried to recruit me."

Scott and Sam's eyebrows furrowed. "Who?" Sam asked.

"Hydra?" Scott asked.

"Shield?" Sam followed up.

"Tony Stark," Luke admitted.

"Stark." Scott let out a grunt of frustration/exasperation. "I hate that guy!"

"That's because he had no idea who you were," Sam said with an eye-roll.

"No!" Scott protested and then frowned. "Okay. Maybe a little."

"Look guys, I'm going to tell you guys the same thing I told Stark," Luke said shaking his head with amusement. "International battles and superhero suits aren't my thing. Besides... aren't you guys supposed to be arrested?"

Sam and Scott shared a look.

"Who us?" Scott asked innocently.

"Nah," Sam said shaking his head.

"Well, maybe a little," Scott relented.

"Just a bit," Sam admitted.

Luke chuckled and shook his head again. "I appreciate the offer guys, but I just got out of jail. I'm not interested in going back to being a wanted felon."

"Well it's not as bad as it sounds," Sam started.

"Maybe we should talk it over some coffee," Scott suggested. "Do you like coffee? I love coffee."

At this point Fish and Luke were exchanging knowing and amused looks.

"It's okay, Sam," the third man said standing up from the chess game. "He made his decision and we have to respect it."

Luke paused for a moment. Beneath the ball cap and the sunglasses, the man had looked familiar but the voice is what made him take notice. "Aren't you Captain-"

He interrupted Luke with a shake of his head. "I'm just Steve Rogers now," he said offering Luke his hand for a handshake.

"It's a real honor, sir," Luke said shaking his hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Cage."

"Just don't shake his hand too long or it will get awkward," Scott interjected. "Not that I've experienced that myself at all. You know. Maybe a little."

"Man, you just don't have any idea when to keep your mouth shut,' Sam said shaking his head.

"We better get going," Steve said with an amused sigh. "Thanks for the game, Mr. Fish."

As the three heroes left amid a bunch of bickering between Scott and Sam, Luke picked up the paper and settled down in the shop chair. His brain was buzzing slightly at meeting _the Captain America_

"He might be Captain of America but his chess game is shit."

Fish's opinion differed slightly.


End file.
